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When I notice that my mornings are getting particularly crazy, one of the first things I consider is whether I’m following my evening routine. A great evening routine sets us up for a morning that runs like a well-oiled machine.

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Click play to listen to the audio version of Create an Evening Routine

If you brush your teeth and wash your face before bed, you already have an evening routine. Upgrading your routine is as simple as choosing a couple of things to add to your evening routine that would set you up for a better night’s sleep and better morning the next day.

Now, you may say, “Routines are for type A people, and that just isn’t me.” Having a routine doesn’t mean you have to hold a stopwatch and adhere to this strict schedule. It is just a group of activities that you try to do every night, because you see how much they benefit you.

As an example, I’ll share what my evening routine looks like:

Clean up dinner food and dishes.

Help kids clean up toys.

Get the kids into pajamas, brush their teeth, read a story, say their prayers and sing their bedtime song.

Stretches (because this prevents me from having as many workout-related strains or pulled muscles).

Wash my face, floss and brush my teeth and change into pajamas.

Write down 3 things I am grateful for.

Apply face creams and lip balm.

Read a physical book (not an ebook so the blue light doesn’t affect my sleep.)

Roll lavender essential oil on my wrists.

Pray until I fall asleep.

Other activities you could do in the evening:

Lay out everyone’s clothes for the next day.

Make lunches.

Put laundry in washing machine to be ready to start in the morning.

Thaw out meat for the next night’s dinner.

Set out breakfast dishes and food, when possible.

Prep kids’ backpacks.

Pick up clutter around house.

Set up coffee maker to start in the morning.

Drink herbal tea.

Do a sleep meditation.

My evening routine isn’t something I use a checklist for and check off every night with military precision. I am naturally into a habit of doing these things, because I know there are consequences to me physically and emotionally if I skip them.

If this seems overwhelming, just pick one activity to start with– the one that would be the most helpful to you. Do that for one week before adding a new one.

I hope this post has you excited and motivated to start your own evening routine. If you want more thorough guidance on creating your evening routine, I recommend Money Saving Mom’s course Make Over Your Evenings. It is very affordable and walks you through creating your routine one small step at a time.

Having an evening routine will require some extra time each night, so you need to save time in other places, right? That’s why I created this FREE guide with 25 ways to help you find more time. Just implementing one of these 25 ways will help you save a significant amount of time so you can spend it on whatever you would rather be doing, whether it’s playing with your kids or taking a nap. Sign up to get the FREE guide here.

I have been following a morning routine for 3 months now since I completed Crystal Paine a.k.a. Money Saving Mom’s Make Over Your Mornings course. (Just as an aside, I love everything Crystal creates. All her courses are packed with good information, affordable and practical.)

This page contains affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I will get a commission at no additional cost to you.

Having a morning routine has turned me from running around like a chicken with my head cut off to doing a handful of things that start my day off on a peaceful, purposeful note.

How do you want your day to start?With an energetic, loud toddler in the house, I need my day to start off with quiet reflection. I also like to listen to some type of uplifting message to get myself in a good frame-of-mind for the day ahead.

What do you need to tackle in the evening to make your morning less stressful?This is key. Setting out our clothes out and planning our agenda the night before makes a huge difference in how our day begins.

What is most important for you to do that day?Yaas! Instead of getting bombarded with chores, emails and social media first thing in the morning, the night before I have already chosen the three most important things I will focus on first thing in the morning after breakfast.

Include something enjoyable in your routine.If you aren’t a morning person, having a part of your routine that you look forward to may be the thing that helps you get out of bed. That may be a cup of your favorite coffee, time to read a good book or WHAT.

Include some type of accountability.Again, if you aren’t already used to getting up early, it may be difficult at first to choose your morning routine over a few extra minutes of sleep. That’s where accountability comes in. Enlist your hubby or friend, post your wakeup time or use a habit tracker to help you stay motivated.

Make it visual.Whether it’s an index card or cute printable like this one from Sunny Sweet Days, keep a visual of your morning routine in a place where you will see it first thing in the morning as a reminder of what to do when you are too sleepy to think straight.

Test it out.Take at least three weeks to test your morning routine. You may need to add something you haven’t though of, or you might find that something on your list just isn’t that helpful.

These were just a few of the lessons in Crystal Paine’s course; there were 14 lessons total. To check out the course, visit Crystal’s site to learn more. For just $17, you can gain from Crystal’s wisdom as much as I did in only 15 minutes a day.*

And if you are wondering what my morning routine looks like, I keep it simple and limit it to only 4 things:

Other ideas for tasks to add to your morning routine might be exercise, make the bed, read or make breakfast. I don’t recommend adding things you are already going to do like put on clothes or drink coffee, unless those particular things are a challenge for you. 😉

I’d love to hear from you. Do you have an intentional morning routine? What do you do each day?

I’ve heard it said that we are either about to enter, in the middle of, or just coming out of a storm in our lives. Jesus made it clear that we are going to have challenges and trouble in life. If we know we will have difficult situations and days, shouldn’t we prepare in advance? That’s why I wanted to share this idea for creating a Christian self-care ritual.

The words “Christian” and “self care” may sound like opposites. But to me, self care is really soul care. And it is vital that we care for our souls and build our faith before trials come our way.

Click to play the audio version of A Christian Self Care Ritual for Anxiety & Stress

I have been very open about my struggles with health-related anxiety since my thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment. I thought it would be easy to put that all behind me after my treatment was complete, but every time I have a medical checkup of any kind, the anxiety rushes in.

Because I know these events are inevitable, I decided to create a self-care ritual that I lean on when these feelings return.

But why would I call it a Christian self-care ritual? Because, as Christ followers, we know that true peace comes only through Him. All the meditation, journaling and therapy in the world won’t help unless you go to Him first, and do other things under the Spirit’s guidance.

Now, your anxiety or stress may not be health-related. Maybe you feel anxious about money, or you are going to an event where you don’t know anyone. Perhaps your stress is around a work project, an event that’s coming up, or a problem with one of your kids.

When you know these feelings are going to be triggered, it’s smart to have go-to resources prepared ahead of time.

First, go to God. I have a habit of going to Him after I’ve tried a million other things. That’s like getting into an accident and trying to use bandaids to care for your wounds before calling 9-1-1. Jesus desires to be our first response, not our last resort. Go to His word, and let His voice minister to your soul. Read verses aloud. Post them on your mirror or in your car. Pray and pour out your concerns to Him.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

I heard Kyle Idleman interviewed on a podcast and he said that we often give our worries to God and then wonder why nothing changes. He said we tell God all about our worries, but we also need to tell our worries about our God.

After you take everything to God and strengthen your faith, then you can supplement with these other ideas that will keep your foundation in Him solid.

Christian Self-Care Ideas

Create one or more music playlists with songs that remind you of God’s sovereignty or just favorites that make you happy.

Call a friend that will listen and speak life into your situation.

Keep a list of podcast sermons that address your circumstances.

Practice meditation. Abide and Soultime are two apps that offer Christian guided meditations.

Build a list of quotes from blog posts or books that encourage you.

Go outside and enjoy the natural energy boost that the sun and scenery bring.

Light a candle or use a calming essential oil.

Wrap yourself up in a favorite blanket. I have a blanket that is somewhat weighted, and I love curling up with it.

Build a team of prayer partners who you can text when you are in need.

Distract yourself. Find a project you’ve been wanting to tackle or do something nice for someone else. Get your mind off of yourself and on to something else.

Keep in mind that you may need different routines for different scenarios. What you need when you feel anxious is probably different than what you need when you feel overwhelmed.

The most important tool I use when I am anxious or stressed is my Bible. I write down my favorite verses on Post-Its and put them in places I see often. I’ve created a FREE printable with 8 of my favorite verses about God’s peace. Print out these verses that you can cut out and display in your home, car, planner or work.

Are there certain tasks you have to do but doing them leaves you feeling stressed and depleted? I call those things energy drainers.

Click to play the audio version of How to Ditch Energy Drainers

Often we think that in order to get more done, we need to manage our time. That’s true to a point, but there is only so much you can do in 24 hours. We can’t create more time, but we can manage our energy.

Michael Hyatt said, “You will never be as productive as you need or want to be unless you have sufficient energy.”

As an example of what not to do, let me share how I spent my morning. I started out well by exercising and studying my Bible. But after breakfast, I scanned Instagram and Facebook, started responding to emails, got a call from my chiropractor and then had to look into my insurance benefits.

After wasting a couple of hours on all this, I noticed that I was feeling discouraged and depleted. That’s because I had spent the most energetic part of my day doing things that I find draining.

The best strategy for managing your energy is to identify your energy drainers, decide how to handle them, focus on your most important tasks first and add energy givers into your day.

Identify your energy drainers.

What are your energy drainers? Let me share a few examples that may help you identify the tasks that drain your energy most.

Responding to emails

Responding to texts

Making phone calls

Checking social media

Too much noise

Traffic

Clutter

Cleaning

People can be energy drainers too. These are people who suck the life out of you whenever you are around them for very long. You don’t have to ban these people from your life, but it is helpful to know who they are, so you can limit the amount of time you spend with them.

Manage your energy drainers.

Go through the list of activities you identified as energy drainers, and decide which can be eliminated, limited or postponed.

Eliminate. Some tasks like clutter or house cleaning may be eliminated by getting rid of them or outsourcing them to someone else.

Limit. Spend less time with people who are energy drainers. You can also spend less time on social media, or choose to drive at times when there is no rush-hour traffic.

Postpone. Let’s be real. There is no universe where I can stop responding to emails or making phone calls. But I can choose when to do these things. Some energy-draining activities can be postponed to a different time of day. It is best for me to respond to emails and texts, check social media and make phone calls in the afternoon when I feel less creative and energetic.

Tackle important things in your prime time.

Once you know what time of day you are at your best, do your most important tasks then. Keep the list small. I recommend only 3 per day, which I wrote about in this post titled Conquer Every Day Using This Trick.

The beauty of this technique is that if you have a busy day and you only get these 3 things accomplished, you have still done the most important things.

And sometimes, most important looks like playing a game with your child or making dinner. You get to define important.

Add energy givers to your day.

Part of managing your energy well is doing things that keep your energy level high.

So, now that you know your energy drainers, think of which tasks give you the opposite feelings. Which things give you energy, excite you, make you forget about time passing, put a spring in your step?

Add these things to your day when you are running low on energy.

On my list of energy givers? Working on this blog, exercising, being in nature, playing great music and listening to podcasts.

Women are masters at juggling a million things at once. Our brains are wired to handle several different tasks and thoughts at the same time. But I am finding that the more I put on my plate, the harder it is to keep track of everything. That’s why I put as many things as I can on autopilot.

And most of the time, we waste our decision-making energy on insignificant things like what to eat and what to wear, so when harder decisions come our way, we are already mentally tired.

Putting some of the easier decisions on autopilot is literally a way to keep from losing our minds.

Eight Tasks You Can Put on Autopilot

Laundry
If you wash, dry and put away one load a day, this chore is less overwhelming and time-consuming. Try to get the load started first thing in the morning, and you’re sure to be done by lunch. If you work outside the home, gather the laundry and take it to the laundry room in the morning so as soon as you get in from work in the evening, you can start a load of clothes.

Meal Planning
Everyone needs to eat, but deciding what to fix every night can be a huge chore. There are so many ways to simplify meal planning like themed meal nights, using a meal planning service such as emeals or choosing 10-15 go-to recipes that you put on rotation. Choose the one that works best for your family, and then use online grocery ordering to make meal planning as easy as possible.

Food Prep
If you save food prep until 5:30 pm, dinner won’t be ready until late. Instead, consider prepping as much as you can in the morning or on the weekends. Even if you only chop veggies or cook meats, you’ll be way ahead of the game.

Schedule
Whether you stay at home or work, having an organized schedule can be a lifesaver. Set a time each week to go to the grocery, do errands or go to the gym. Bonus points for creating a morning and evening routine to follow each day. Money Saving Mom has fantastic courses on creating morning and evening routines if you need extra help.

Clothing
Organize your closet by outfits, so you can easily see your clothing options. Then each night, select what you will wear the following today, along with shoes and accessories.

Cleaning
There are a couple of ways to put cleaning your house on autopilot. You could do one cleaning job each day or get the whole family involved by cleaning the whole house together on the weekend. And by cleaning, I mean tasks like dusting, vacuuming and mopping. Decluttering can be a breeze if you take just 15 minutes to pick up the house at the end of the day.

Recurring Tasks
Who has the brain capacity to remember those things like changing your toothbrush or air filters or mascara? How about scheduling annual doctor’s appointments, paying bills or contributing to savings or investment accounts? Take advantage of the Reminders app on your iPhone or use an app like ToDoist to remember those tasks for you.

Shopping
Use Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program and Dash buttons to order items you use on a regular basis. This is a great way to stay stocked in everything from household goods to supplements to beauty products.

What other things do you have on autopilot? The more things we create a routine or systems for, the more energy we have to focus on more important things.

School is almost out. You finish up end-of-year activities and start to exhale, but then realize everyone will be under your feet all. day. long. So while teachers are counting down the days, work-from-home and stay-at-home moms alike are wondering what in the world they will do with the kids home 24/7. That’s why I decided that creating a summer schedule is a must.

You see, even though my daughter only had preschool three mornings a week, it was still super helpful to be able to count on that time to run errands or tackle things around the house. I was starting to dread the start of summer until my friend Katie of Fun Home Things posted on Facebook about putting her four kids on a schedule.

Instantly, I knew that a schedule is exactly what we need to help everyone have a better summer. And if you are wondering how to create your own schedule, check out the ideas below. (Links are below photos.)

Summer Schedule Ideas

Schedules can be as structured or as spontaneous as you’d like. I’ve seen some moms who plan what will happen every hour of the day and some who just plan one activity a couple of days a week. Take the general idea and make it work for you.

You can also incorporate some family routines too, like pizza and a movie on Friday nights or breakfast for dinner on Sundays. Or family outings on Saturdays.

And, if you’re looking for more support this summer, here are two free resources:

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About Me

My name is Ashley. I’m the wife of the best guy on the planet, the mom of two crazy girls and a lover of all things country music, reading and group fitness. And I’m super passionate about helping you simplify your life so you can spend more time doing the things you love.